Summer is sometimes called “the silly season,” perhaps because the warm to stifling weather encourages us to shed layers of clothing and decorum. This 1939 poster advertises a seaside extension for visitors to the World’s Fair in New York City. What could be better than a stopover at Sea Cliff, Long Island? At 250 feet
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Make Laundry Day a Happy Day
Throughout history, there has been laundry. As proof I submit today’s featured image of women in ancient Greece filling a wash tub. And, as long as there has been laundry, people — usually women — have complained about having to do it. But the truth is, washing clothes today isn’t nearly the chore that it
A Bird, A Boy, & A Painting: Donna Tartt’s Goldfinch
The European goldfinch is a small bird with a red face, black and white head, warm brown upper parts and whiter underparts. The male has a dark mask just behind the eye. This seventeenth century oil on wood painting by Calen Febritius captures the life of a pet goldfinch, no doubt kept for its cheery
MEMORIAL DAY – A TIME TO REMEMBER
Memorial Day is a somber day of remembrance. A time to remember the men and women in our Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives in service to their country. One million two hundred sixty-four thousand Americans have died in our nation’s wars. Roughly six hundred twenty thousand men, almost half the total number of deaths,
Naughty Nellie and the Honest Cop
In 1900 Aberdeen was known as the Hellhole of the Pacific and more ominously The Port of Missing Men, a reference to the high murder rate. Aberdeen was a boomtown fueled by the timber industry and home to a wide-open social life for the two thousand or so loggers and sailors who came into town
NAUGHTY NELLIE – “a madam of legendary proportion”
I met Nellie Curtis at The Pike Brewing Company Pub located at the edge of Seattle’s Pike Place Market in the old LaSalle Hotel Building. Seattle is known for its microbreweries. My daughter thought it would be fun to check out Pike Brewing founded in 1989. We ordered the tasting sampler. First on the list
Retired Guide Dog Spencer McGarrett – A Remembrance
Guide Dog Spencer McGarrett became an integral part of our family the day he arrived as a well-trained, gangly one-year-old puppy, ready for life in the tropics. The Handsome Bloke spent a month training with Spencer at Guide Dogs Victoria in Australia before Spencer’s adventures began. Two years ago Spencer retired. Reflecting on his life,
POMPEII — MORE THAN A HISTORY LESSON
I was in Seattle for business meetings last week. But as the saying goes, ‘all work and no play makes Sandra a dull girl.’ Remedy – indulge in Seattle’s cultural delights. The historian in me won the toss, so my first visit was to the Pacific Science Center’s Pompeii: The Exhibition. It’s not the first
HAPA-HAOLE HAWAIIAN MUSIC – A SAMPLING
Hapa-haole technically means half-foreign, or half Hawaiian and half something else. Musically the term refers to a type of music founded on traditional Hawaiian mele with something added. James Revell Carr suggests King Kalākaua sponsored hula ku`i, a new style of hula accompanied by western instruments, including the guitar, banjo, violin, accordion, and ukulele. From
CRAFT FAIRS AT THE MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL
As anyone in my family will tell you, I’m not much of a shopper. There are several reasons for this, starting with the fact I don’t like traffic or trolling for a parking space. But despite the daunting prospect of full parking lots and possible inclement weather, I do appreciate beautiful things, which is
Scandal at Highclere Castle / Downton Abbey
Last week I wrote about Highclere Castle where Downton Abbey is filmed. But what about the Earls of Carnarvon who have made Highclere Castle their “seat” since 1679? [Sidebar: This is interesting, since Carnarvon is actually in North Wales. Then again, few English lords choose to live in Wales.] I began looking at the
THE “REAL” DOWNTON ABBEY
The recent announcement that next season will be the last time viewers can catch up with Lord Grantham and the Crawley family caused consternation among Downton Abbey’s loyal fans. Downton Abbey is the most successful program in the history of PBS broadcasting. In 2013, NBC Universal, owner of Carnival Films, estimated that worldwide, over 120
Penguins, Sea Turtles, and Mangroves
Unlike their cousins, the Emperor Penguins of Antarctica, Galapagos Penguins are petite creatures weighing five pounds or less. What they lack in impressive stature, they make up for in what I call the “cuddly factor.” I first saw them traveling along the coastline of Bartolome Island in a zodiac. Oblivious to gawking tourists, two
A Day in Puerto Ayora
There’s more to do on Santa Cruz Island than visit Giant Tortoises. Strolling down Avenida Charles Darwin, the main street, there’s lots to see. There are nightclubs, one of which is Andy’s Bongo Bar. I heard it’s a place where tourists and locals mingle to the sound of music videos. I was more intrigued by
GALAPAGOS GIANT TORTOISES – Bring Sunscreen
The description read: “Manzanillo Ecological Reserve,” native ground of the Galapagos’ Giant Tortoises. What to bring: closed shoes, long pants, sun protection, water, hat, sun glasses, insect repellant, and money.” Money? We landed on the island of Santa Cruz, boarded a bus and left the dry shore area behind as we climbed
Exploring Genovesa Island, Galapagos
Galapagos Factoids The Galapagos Islands are 600 miles west of Ecuador’s Pacific coastline. Ecuador annexed Galapagos Islands in 1832, three years before Charles Darwin encountered the islands during his service as a naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle. To this day, Darwin’s name is the one most closely associated with the Galapagos, due to the islands’